Maintenance roads for the Heart Mountain Irrigation District have been used for decades by those seeking outdoor recreation. Unfortunately, the roads have also been abused. The district has now taken the first step to permanently close them to the public.

The traffic on the private canal roads has been growing and so have the problems, said Randy Watts, manager of the Heart Mountain district.

As of April 5, travel by automobiles and ATVs on the roads will be considered trespassing and violators prosecuted.

The change has been advertised in Park County publications, including the Powell Tribune, as the first step in notifying the public.

“They’re not designated for public use,” Watts said of the canal roads. “We’re trying to set a standard to control the use of our facilities.”

The canals are owned by the Bureau of Reclamation and managed by the district. For many, the roads are the only way to access public land used by many for hunting, horseback riding and hiking. But the roads have also been used by those seeking an isolated spot to dump trash.

Every year, the problem gets worse, Watts said. People dump objects like old tires, bicycles, furniture and bags of household garbage in the canal and on land surrounding the waterways. The small staff at the district is then tasked with cleaning up the litter and repairing damage.

“The garbage gets stuck in head gates that lead to laterals and causes all types of problems,” Watts said, adding, “It’s our job to manage the land. This is not personal. We have to take our job seriously.”

Safety is also another factor in closing access to the roads. Over the years, there have been several drownings in the canal. A local woman died in 2016 after apparently trying to rescue her dog from the water and then being unable to get out.

The canals are deceptively dangerous; three grizzlies also drowned in district canals in 2016 — evidence that even the strongest creatures can fall victim to the rushing water.

While the district’s hand is being forced by scofflaws, Watts doesn’t want to close off access to Bureau of Land Management properties that are otherwise inaccessible. Travel by foot and horseback will be allowed to continue.

“We are not in the business of closing off access to BLM land,” he said.

Much of the district land, including roads and both sides of the canal, are easements on private property. The canal runs through about three dozen private parcels. Managing the irrigation district also means being considerate to landowners and Watts is receiving increasing amounts of complaints about trespassing.

“Landowners have a right to say they don’t want trespassers,” Watts said.

The district is working on ways to guarantee access to popular BLM land and hopes to develop a plan soon.